Method of making tension wheels



April 18, 1933. .1. L. HECHT METHOD OF MAKING TENSION WHEELS Filed Nov. 13, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR W A zNEyi- April 18, 1933. J. L. HECHT METHOD OF MAKING TENSION WHEELS Filed NOV. 13, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 18, 1933 UNITED STATES,

PAT NT OFFICE;

JOSEPH L. nnon'r, or DAVENPORT, rowmnssrenon I0 rnnnon & incnr, mam- RATED, A oouronnrron or IOWA a METHOD or MAKING- rnnsron arms;

Application filed November 13,1931. Serial Ho. 574,687.

This invention relates to the manufacture of metal wheels, and has particular reference to the production of metal wheels in which the spokes are under tension to form a tension wheel; and the invention consists of a method. of procedure in which a spoke provided with a head at one end, is inserted through corresponding spoke holes in a closed rim member and a hub member, and is positioned' relatively to said members .so that the head on the spoke will be spaced a slight distance from the adjacent surface of the associated member, the opposite end of the spoke being upset endwise so as to firmly con.- nect the same to the other wheel member, and in which operation, the head at the opposite end of the spoke, will be caused to move up to and seat against-the wheel member at that end and thereby place the spoke. under tension.

In the specification to follow, the invention will be described in detail, and the novel features will be set forth in the appende claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation, showing thedisassembled parts ormembers of a wheel of a form suitable for practicing the im proved method;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View on an enlarged scale of a portion of a wheel, showing one spoke positioned in the rim and hub preparatory to being fastened in place in accordance. with the invention, and showing another spoke as it appears when in final connected condition; and a Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing thefinal condition of theunfastened spoke of Fig. 2 after being operated on in accordance with the invention.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views similar to Fig. 2, showing hub structures of a difierent character to which the method of the invention is applicable.

Referring to the drawings:- In making a wheel in accordance with the invention, I provide a closed rim member 1, in which are formed spoke holes 2, a hub member 3,. provided with corresponding having at one end a head 6,- all as shown in Fig. 1'. Thehub isassembled concentrically. within the rim, and by suitable means, not necessary here to. illustrate, these two mem bers' of the wheel are supported fixedly in this relation so that they may be turned around as a unit to present the spokes. in succession to the action of the spoke fastening means later to be described.

r Fig. 2 shows one spoke at the right,--fastened in place by means of a head 7 on its innerend bearing tightly against the inner side or surface of the hub, and an annular shoulder 8 on thespoke near its inner end bearing against the outer side of the hub, and the figure shows another spoke" at the left positioned in the rim and hub, preparatory to the formation of the said fastening. head 7 and shoulder 8. f

In assembling and fastening the spoke in this manner, the headless-end of the spoke is passed inwardly through a hole 2. in the rim, and through the corresponding hole 4 in i the hub, and the spoke is so positioned relatively to these -parts, that the head 6 onits Outer end willv be spaced a slight distance,

as at 9, from the outer side of the rim, while its inner headless end will projectsome distance inwardly beyond the inner side ofthe hub, said headless end of the spoke being preferably heatcdbefore or after'its assemblage in place. An upsetting clamp 102' is now applied to the-heated .spoke outside the hub, and at a short distance therefrom, and. an upsetting head 11 is engaged with the inner heated end of the spoke within the hub,

and these two upsetting members are, by a suitable means, moved'towardeach other with powerful pressure, while engaged with the" spoke end,-with the result that the end of the spoke will be upset endwise, and the. head 7 will-be i-formed on the inner end of" the spoke in tight and'forcible' engagementwith and disposed in firm and forcible engagement with the hub at this point,;thereby firmly fasthe inner side of the hub, and the shoulder 8 v will be formed on the spoke outside the hub? toning the innerend of the spoke to the hub. Inthe upsetting: actiomthematerial of the.

spoke going into the formation of: the head 1 under tension of the proper degree. After a spoke has been thus fastened in place and tensioned, the upsetting, members. are disengaged from the fastened spoke, anda new spoke with its headless end heated is posi- 1 tioned in the holes in the rim and hub, and the connected rim and hub are turnedxto present the end ofthe newspoketo the upsetting members, which being engaged asbefore with the heated spokeend, the fore- 203 'oing upsetting operation is repeated, and so on until all'of the spokes are fastened in place under uniform tension. I I

. The positioning of the spoke preparatory to the upsetting operation, with its head espacedfrom the adjacent surface of the associatedwheel member (in the example shown, the rim 1), is of great importance and advantage in practicing my invention, as it prevents, in the shortening of the spoke in the 3Qsupsetting operation and the contraction of the spoke on cooling, the undue stretch of the spoke. and consequently too great tension thereon, the clearance space 9,'enabling the spoke to shorten up considerably, before the ss tension begins to actas the headseats against the.--rim-.:: If ;the upsetting operation were I initiatedwith thespoke head6 already seated, the shortening of the .spoke would begin at once, and assuch shortening is very con- 4o'fsiderable, the'spokes would be unduly tensioned, withthe liability of deforming the rimandweakening the finished wheel.

-It will be understood that it is not essen-' tial tothepractice of the. invention that, in '7the fastening of the free end of the spoke to v the adjacent wheel member, there be formed bothia head; on the end of thespoke to bear against one side ofthe wheel member, and an adjacent shoulderto bear againstv the other seaside of .the wheel member, since it is obvious that the spoke may be fastened by an upsetting action to the wheel member in otherv ways. For instance, the end of the spoke may be headed and the spoke stock caused "by. the: heading operation, to expandlaterally and tightly fillthe spoke hole, or an enlarged portion of the same, wherebythe s oke will u be shortened as before, and this s ortening in connection. with the contraction of the eospoke on cooling, will draw the headagainst the other member of the wheel and place the spoke under tension, at the same time aifordingfafirm and'secure connection of the'spoke with the wheel, and without provision of the external shoulder, as previously described."

Fig. 5 a recess 20 is formed in the hub at the outer end of the spoke hole, the upset metal of the hub in this case forming a flange 21 which, together with the head 7, holds the spoke firmly in position. In this case the outer surface of the flange is :flush with the outer face of the hub. a I

While in the foregoing description I have described in the preferable method of procedure, the heating of the headless end of the spoke inorder to facilitate its heading in its connectionto the wheel member, and in order to set up a tension on the spokes under the most favorable conditions, as when thespoke contracts von cooling, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to this heating of the spoke end, but embraces as well the cold working of the parts, i. e., the spokes could be fastened inplace by upsetting with out previously heating the end on which the upsetting tool acts, and a tension could be in this manner applied to the spokes, although I not with the same facility and readiness and practicability as when the spoke ends are heated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim 1s-: V n v 1. In the method of makingtension wheels,

assembling a hub member provided-with" spoke holes, concentrically within a closed rim member provided with corresponding spoke holes, providing spokes having ahead at one of their ends, inserting-the headless end of a spoke through corresponding-holes ln'said members, positioning saidspoke with its head spaced a shortdistance'from the ad jacent surface of the adjacent wheel member, and actmg on the opposite end ofthe spoke.

to fasten it rigidly to the wheel member at I that end while causing said spoke in the fastening operation to shorten and thehead on the other end ofthe spoke to move up to and seat tightly against the surface of the wheel memberat that end and thereby tension the spoke. V a v 2. In the method of making tension wheels,

assembling -a hub memberuprovided with spoke holes, concentrically within'a'closed rim member provided with corresponding spoke holes, providing spokes having a head at one of their ends, inserting the 'headless end of a spoke through corresponding liole's'f in said members, positioning said spoke with its head; spaced a short distance from thead jacent surface of the adjacent wheel member,

and upsetting the opposite end of the spoke to form a head thereon seated against one surface of the adjacent wheel member, and a shoulder seated against the opposite surface of said member, while causing the head on the opposite end of the spoke to move up to and seat tightly against the surface of the wheel member at that end, and thereby tension the spoke.

3. The method of making tension wheels, which consists in assembling a hub member provided with spoke holes, concentrically within a closed rim member provided with corresponding spoke holes, providing spokes having a head at one of their ends, inserting the headless end of a spoke through corresponding holes in said members, positioning said spoke with its head spaced a short distance from the adjacent surface of the adjacent wheel member, and upsetting the opposite end of the spoke while heated to fasten it rigidly to the wheel member at that end, whereby the spoke on shortening will cause the head on its opposite end to move up to and r seat tightly against the surface of the wheel member at that end, thereby tensioning the spoke, and repeating these operations on the remainder of the spokes to place the same under tension and complete the wheel. In testimony whereof, this specification has been duly signed by:

JOSEPH L. HECHT. 

